


Small Town Strangeness

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Murder Mystery, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-15 18:53:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19301737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Austin, Texas (1992)A group of friends get themselves tangled up in the most disturbing mystery their small town has ever seen.





	1. Around the Corner

**Author's Note:**

> So, to keep is simple, all the main characters are 17 years old.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _But like weeds do he only came and grew back again_
> 
> _So I figured this time I might as well let him be_

There were two things just around the corner in Ryan Haywood’s life.

1) Freshman year of high school. Every kid in the area was dreading the end of summer. Of course, a majority of the kids already knew each other considering most of them came from the same middle school. But leaving behind the fun and relaxing time of summer break for school work wasn’t thrilling. Ryan wasn’t as bothered by the beginning of the new school year as other kids. He had two close friends in the same grade, Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo, and he was a relatively smart student.

2) New kid. His mother had told him one morning that a new family had just moved in from Boston. Apparently they had a son the same age as Ryan, and his mother insisted that he should go and introduce himself. His family, being the most cliche middle-class overly-friendly suburban white family ever, hauled themselves over to the new neighbors to say hello.

While his parents were busy chatting it up with the other pair, he wandered over to the new kid. He usually wasn’t the type to go out of his way to meet someone new, but being a polite kid, he did it anyways. Plus, being the new kid at a high school would be rough and he figured he was doing the kid a favor by at least giving him one friend.

The son was sitting on the porch steps leading up to the new house. As soon as Ryan started to approach him, he stood up, already smiling. Few things Ryan noticed off the bat: first, the kid was short. A lot shorter than most freshmen boys and definitely shorter than him. Second, he was a bit chubby. No, scratch that. He wasn’t chubby at all; he was buff. Most of the boys coming out of eigth grade were skinny as rakes. Some of the students who participated in sports usually had toned calves or slightly muscled forarms. But this kid looked like a miniature body builder.

Third, he was cute. Not celebrity or actor cute. More puppy cute. He had wide, bright brown eyes and the sweetest smile. He had a neon purple Spyro the Dragon shirt tucked into light blue jeans. His hair was short, brown, and fluffy, and he frequently ran his hands through it when he was nervous. He seemed almost like the exact opposite of Ryan, and he found that endearing. He had never found someone so unlike him, but that he liked so much.

“Hey, I’m Ryan.”

“Jeremy.”

“My mom told me that you moved here from Boston, right?”

“Yup. My dad got a better job down here so we moved. Kinda sucks leaving the city, but my parents tell me it’ll be nice here.”

“It is nice down here. I mean, it is a small town so it gets a little boring at times, but there’s still things to do around here,” Ryan said. “So, what was Boston like?”

“Cold most of the time. We get a lot of snow and ice, and that’s a lot of fun. Not so much cleaning it up, though. It’s also loud. My mom said she wanted a change of pace. Something smaller, quieter, less crowded,” Jeremy sighed. “It’s gonna be a lot different here, I bet.”

“I’m sure it will. It may not be Boston, but you’ll make the most of it.” Ryan glanced over to his parents, who were nearing the end of their conversation. “Hey, it was real nice meeting you, Jeremy. If you ever want to hang out, I live around the corner in the red two story house. I’m sure my parents will give you guys an address or phone number.”

“Oh, sure! It was nice meeting you, too. I have to go start unpacking now. See you later!” Jeremy smiled brightly and headed into his new house. Ryan waved after him and walked back to where his parents were standing on the sidewalk. They said their goodbyes and made their way back to their own home. That day, when Ryan got back home, he would have no idea of the journey his new friend would take him.

Eventually, the new school year started. Of course, Ryan was still close to Geoff and Jack, but this time he had a new partner in crime. Jack and Geoff had known each other for longer, so Ryan sometimes felt like a third-wheel. They were friends, but he didn’t have the unbreakable bond the other two had. But over time Jeremy had become his best friend. When Jack and Geoff were busy, he didn’t have to stay at home playing video games alone, because Jeremy was there. When the others were sick from school, Jeremy was there. The boy from Boston was a gift to him; his complete opposite.

Plus, the group of four was beginning to expand. Soon enough, they had met Michael, a rough and rowdy Jersey boy with over ridiculously long curly hair and glasses. Then there was Gavin, the goofy scaredy-cat from England. The six boys were their own family. From freshman year leading up to junior, the six of them had formed a bond that the entire town had never seen before. They wouldn’t have traded a single moment or memory for the entire world.

And then junior year rolled around. The group was still as close as ever. They were the kings of their own little world. Not a single one of them would have known of the storm brewing just around the corner.

Behold, 1992.


	2. Behold, 1992

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I used to say I wanna die before I’m old_
> 
> _But because of you I might think twice_

The final bell of the day rang, and hundreds of kids flooded the hallways towards the exit, ecstatic and relieved that it was finally Friday. Ryan gathered his things, walked out of chemistry class, and followed the flow of other students. Along the way he passed by one of the language arts classrooms where Jeremy would leave and walk beside him.

Today Jeremy was wearing a typical pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a logo for a metal band. His faded blue hair bounced along as they walked down the hallways. He remembered the day in sophomore year when Jeremy, Ryan, Michael, and Gavin were all huddled in Jeremy’s bathroom pouring blue hair dye into his brown hair. He had offered to do the same to the other three, but they had chickened out. In Ryan’s opinion, Jeremy seemed like the only one in the group who could rock the unique hairstyle.

“So, Lil’J,” Ryan began, ruffling the blue hair of his friend. “How was school?”

“Great, thanks for asking mom,” Jeremy snickered. “We have three out of four classes together, man. I don’t think you need to ask me how my day went.”

“Well, you just seemed a little quiet today.”

“Just thinking. I have a pretty good plan for us this weekend. Been thinking about it for a while.”

“Lil’J’s got a plan? Care to share?”

“Not till we get the rest of the gang together. It’s gonna be something big, I promise.”

“Can’t wait to hear it.” The two finally escaped through the school exits and dispersed from the mob of other teens. They sat on the low stone wall that surrounded the school perimeter, waiting for the remaining four to join them.

“So, Buck didn’t give you any trouble during last period, right?” Ryan asked. It was one of the usual questions he asked Jeremy everyday after school. Buck, or Blaine Buckley, was a rotten kid. The textbook definition of a bully. He was always armed with a knife, had white blond hair, and skin that flared red when he was angry. He also had chipped buck teeth, lending him the nickname, though no one dared call him “Buck” to his face. Not unless they wanted to end up with chipped teeth, too.

“Nah, he stormed out of class half way through. Had a bit of a fight with the teacher. Every little argument sets him off. That guy seriously needs to chill the fuck out once in a while.”

“Or smoke weed.”

The two boys chuckled. Meanwhile, Michael, Gavin, Jack, and Geoff had arrived at last. Michael wore a red hoodie with several decorative pins and patches. Gavin displayed a British flag on his t-shirt. Jack wore a regular striped button up, and Geoff, the most eccentrically dressed out of all of them, wore a black leather jacket over death metal t-shirt, plus ripped jeans and spiked boots.

“What’re you two laughing at?” Michael questioned. He plopped down on the wall next to Jeremy, and Gavin took a seat beside him.

“Just talking about how Buck needs to smoke some weed,” Jeremy replied.

“Everyone needs weed,” Michael muttered. “Y’know, I think the twins may have some on them.” The “twins” were Alfredo and Trevor. Though not actually twins, the two looked and acted suspiciously and creepily like each other, and they never seemed to separate. Some speculated that they were brothers, probably through some affair on their parents’ parts. Other rumors said they were boyfriends, but rumors in small towns were as common as flies, so who knew what was true.

“Guys, guys! Enough about weed. Lil’J’s got a weekend plan!” Ryan bursted out. All attention then darted towards the shortest member of the group.

“I wanna hear this plan, J. I’m tired of playing video games at Michael’s house every weekend,” Geoff said.

“Well, I’ll tell you guys while we’re walking home. Can’t let anybody else in on this,” Jeremy motioned towards the other clusters of teens still surrounding the school. The rest of the group agreed and walked along the sidewalk towards their homes.

“I’ve been coming up with this plan for a week now. So first, Jack, can we use your truck?”

“As long as you’re not planning on blowing it up, it’s fine by me.”

“Good. Geoff, you still got your camping gear from last year?”

“Yup, still tucked away in my garage.”

“Perfect. So let me ask all of you a question. How do you feel about ghosts?”

The rest of the group looked around at one another, speculative. Eye brows were raised or furrowed. Eyes narrowed and widened. Some mouths shifted into questioning frowns and others resisted the urge to smirk.

“Uh, probably not real. Never seen one with my own eyes, and I kinda never want to,” Michael answered.

“They used to tell lots of ghost stories in England. Scared the shite out of me when I was young. Still does,” Gavin replied.

“Yeah, I hate ghost stories. Or stories about dead people in general. I just hate scary stuff,” Geoff admitted.

“The topic intrigues me. I’m not usually scared by that kind of thing,” Jack said.

Ryan didn’t answer. He had never speculated or thought deeply about the supernatural. Ghost stories didn’t scare him, nor did he believe them. He didn’t know if people went to heaven or hell, or if their spirits stayed here. But Jeremy’s sudden interest in them made Ryan curious.

“So, three miles off from here is a forest called the Hunting Woods. Rumor has it that the place is haunted. Of course, people have gone in there and found nothing, but,” Jeremy held one finger up for exclamation, “they didn’t have what I have. I’ve been going around and buying loads of stuff. Spirit boards, radios, recording devices, cameras, everything we need for ghost hunting!”

“Did you get us matching Ghost Buster costumes, too?” Michael asked sarcastically.

“Hey! It’ll be fun. Besides, even if we don’t catch something, we’ll still have a fun camping trip.”

“Jeremy’s right,” Ryan added. “He’s done so much planning, the least we can do is join. I’m all for finding some ghosts, J.” Ryan looked down to find Jeremy smiling at him. That damn sweet smile.

“Same here,” Jack joined in.

“I mean, I’ll still go. Anything beats a boring weekend of staying inside all day,” Michael said.

Gavin and Geoff looked hesitant. Of course the two scaredy-cats of the group wouldn’t want to go to some possibly-haunted forest.

“C’mon you two!” Jeremy pouted. “Do you really want to spend another weekend playing Banjo-Kazooie at Michael’s?”

Geoff lips pursed into a line, then he sighed, defeated. “Not really. Fine, I’ll join your crazy ghost hunting party. But I swear to God if we get haunted or something!”

“I like playing at Michael’s house,” Gavin whimpered. But eventually the Brit gave in and joined the rest.

“Then it’s settled!” Jeremy exclaimed. “Tomorrow we ghost hunt! Bring food, water, batteries, and what ever else we might need. Jack’ll pick us up one by one at around ten in the morning. And then off to the woods!” Ryan and Jack cheered along with him. Michael gave an optimistic laugh. The other two were already shuddering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I’ll be going on a two week vacation soon and I don’t know when I’ll be able to continue writing. Sorry for the mini hiatus, but I’ll try writing again as soon as I can!


	3. Hunting Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In other words, hold my hand._   
>  _In other words, baby kiss me._

Ryan glanced down at his wrist watch again. “10:14” it read. Jack would be rolling by any minute now to pick him up. He shifted his weight from one foot to another. His bookbag sat on the sidewalk at his feet, filled with snacks, a water bottle, a flashlight, extra batteries, extra clothes, and a pocket knife he snuck from his father.

His parents weren’t concerned with the weekend plans at all, mostly because Ryan had not told them what those plans were. To them, Ryan was their angel, and their was no way in hell they would let their angel go on a “camping trip” three miles away in a haunted forest to go ghost hunting. So Ryan had told them that he and his friends would be staying at Geoff’s for the weekend. Throw in a bullshit excuse about the faulty wiring over there that made calls nearly impossible to secure that his parents wouldn’t try and contact him, and bingo!

Just as the heel of his right foot was starting to ache, a red pick-up truck came into view down the road. The vehicle stopped right in front of Ryan and the driver’s window rolled down. 

“Hey, Ry,” Jack said, adjusting his glasses. “Hope you don’t mind, but can you ride in the trunk? Apparently the two back here get real pissy over their personal space.” From the back seat, a fist flew at Jack’s shoulder.

Ryan laughed. “Yeah, no problem. I don’t mind the fresh air.” He flung his bag into the trunk then climbed in beside it. He layed his back against the back window of the truck, then knocked on the side, signaling to Jack that he was ready to go. The truck sprung forward, and within a matter of seconds they had already arrived at Jeremy’s house. Ryan gazed at it. It was nearly the same as when he first met Jeremy. The lawn was neater, there were new flowers planted in the beds, they had painted the exterior a nice shade of cornflower blue. Everything about it looked alive and lived in. The porch steps that he first saw Jeremy sitting on were still the same.

An energetic blue-haired boy bounced off the porch and rushed up to the truck, backpack flying behind him. In his hand was a duffle bag. He approached the driver’s window as it rolled down, and Ryan could faintly hear Jack tell Jeremy what he told him, including the “pissy over personal space” part. A muffled wave of laughter came as somebody, probably Michael, launched his fist into Jack’s shoulder for a second time.

Jeremy clambered over the side of the truck into the trunk alongside Ryan. He fixed the duffle bag next to him and used his backpack as a sort of pillow to lay his back against. Jack started up the truck again and they were off.

“I can’t even tell you how excited I am for this! I’ve got everything we need in here.” Jeremy patted the bag next to him.

“Me too, Jere. I’ve never seen you so excited before!”

Jeremy’s cheeks flushed pink. “Yeah, y’know me. I’m kinda of a nerd for this sort of thing.” Ryan had to admit that Jeremy looked adorable like that, his face glowing pink while his hair was pastel blue. Like cotton candy. Ryan must have been spacing out while staring at him, because Jeremy had an eyebrow raised and a smirk forming on his lips.

“Hello, Earth to Ryan?” Jeremy chuckled. Ryan blinked, snapping back to reality. Now he was the one blushing pink. He turned his face away and fiddled with the sleeves of his jacket.

“S-sorry, just spaced out.

“It’s alright, bud. Is it last minute nerves or something?”

No, Ryan wasn’t entirely nervous for the trip, but he also didn’t want to tell Jeremy that he got distracted looking at him. “Uh, just a little. My parents usually never let me do this sort of thing.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got just the thing,” Jeremy said. He pulled the backpack from behind him and searched through it. He then pulled out a Walkman with a pair of earbuds. He plugged them into the device and handed one to Ryan. The other gingerly took it, resisting his face from turning even more red as his fingers brushed against Jeremy’s. He watched as his friend slotted in a cassette tape into the Walkman and fiddled with the buttons on the side.

He remembered giving Jeremy that Walkman. It was the day after Jeremy’s birthday and they were sitting on the stone wall outside of school. He remembered his eyes lighting up and he handed the device to him. His smile stretched from ear to ear. Jeremy playfully punched him in the shoulder, claiming that it was the most perfect gift he could have given him. When Ryan got home that afternoon, he couldn’t stop smiling. The shimmer in his brown eyes, his perfect smile, and the way his hand slightly lingered on his arm after the punch.

Suddenly, his left ear was filled with music as the Walkman sprung to life. “It’s a bit of an old song, but I know you like it.”

_Fly me to the moon_  
_Let me play among the stars_  
_Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars_

 _In other words, hold my hand_  
_In other words, baby, kiss me_

Ryan did like this song. He liked it for a reason he would never, ever admit to anybody. Now there was no stopping the heat rising to his face. Jeremy knew Ryan very well, and Ryan’s music choices was one of the things he knew inside and out. Out of any of the songs he could have chosen, why this one? Why now, when they were riding in the trunk of Jack’s pick-up alone, passing by quiet trees and peaceful fields. And they were sitting so close together.

Ryan forced his mind to shut off the overbearing thoughts. He closed his eyes and whistled to the tune. For a moment he wasn’t in the back of a truck, pondering on these strange new feelings, over thinking his friendship with his best friend. In one ear he could hear the sweet jazz melody, in the other the tranquil sound of tires rolling along a dirt road.

Then there was silence.

“We’re here!” Jack hollered from the driver’s seat. Damn.

The doors of the truck swung open as the four boys in front piled out. Jeremy and Ryan grabbed their bags hopped over the edge of the trunk, joining the rest of the group. The truck was parked at an obscure area off of the main road to secure that no one would find them. To their right was an open, empty grass field. The grass was knee high and unkept. No civilization in sight. To their left was Hunting Woods. The outside alone was eerie enough. The trees stood so tall that you had to crane your neck to see the tops. Weaving through the thick trunks of the trees was an eternal darkness due to the dense leaves above. Even in the daylight you could only see a few feet ahead of you while walking through the woods.

“Welcome to Hunting Woods, boys!” Jeremy cheered. “Let’s get our asses moving. I already know the perfect place to set up camp. If we move fast, we’ll get there before noon.”

The others followed Jeremy into the woods, hauling their bags of supplies on their backs. There was no clear path leading to Jeremy’s intended spot, so there were multiple instances of the gang tripping over hidden rocks, branches, and logs. Only a few minutes into the walk and Gavin, clearly the most clumsy and unlucky of them all, already had several scars and scratches on his legs.

“Ugh, are we almost there yet?” Michael complained. “We’ve been walking for forever! My feet are killing me.”

“We’re getting there. Quit whining, keep walking,” Jeremy said.

“Say, this place is called Hunting Woods, right?” Geoff piped up. “What if some guy comes ‘round here and thinks we’re deer or something and shoots us with a rifle?”

“Bloody hell! Why would you even say that?” Gavin cried.

“This part of the woods is mostly deserted. That’s why I picked it. Not much wildlife around here, except bugs and small critters. We won’t be getting any hunters around here.

“Except ghost hunters,” Ryan added. He and Jeremy smiled at each other.

Before the sun reached its highest point in the sky, the boys arrived to their camping spot. The location Jeremy chose was actually quite incredible. It was a vast clearing surrounded by trees. The over hanging leaves kept out the burning sun, keeping the air cool. Around the corner was a still lake with crisp clear water. The gang slammed their bags on the grass of the clearing and fell to the ground, exhausted from their travels.

“So, what’s first on our ghost hunting agenda, Lil’J?” Jack asked. He removed his glasses to wipe the sweat from his face.

“Oh, ghost hunting isn’t until later tonight. We’ve got tents to set up, a fire to start, and,” Jeremy pointed to the direction of the lake, “we’ve got some swimming to do.”

The remaining five sat up in attention at the news. Immediately, they stood up and took off towards the water. The stopped at the very edge, peering into the water with anticipation.

“Uh, were we supposed to bring a change of clothes?” Michael questioned.

No one answered him. Already Jeremy was already pulling his shirt over his head. Ryan hoped that the sudden dizziness and heat was due to the afternoon sun overhead. He, Geoff, and Jack followed suit. Michael and Gavin were the only ones still clothed. 

“What’s the matter, you two? Not joining us?” Jeremy asked.

“It’s just weird undressing in front of you guys like this,” Michael said, frowning.

“It’s not like we’re skinning dipping,” Ryan replied. “Besides, you’ve seen worse in the gym locker rooms.”

“He’s probably saving the goods for someone special,” Geoff suggested. “Maybe that Tuggey girl he’s head over heels for.”

“Shut your mouth, Geoff! I’m not into Lindsay like that.”

“C’mon, Michael,” Gavin pleaded. He pulled off his own shirt and tossed it into a pile with the rest. “No harm in going topless!”

“Yeah, Michael! Gavvy wants to have a look,” Geoff teased. He doubled over with laughter when he saw Michael’s face go red. What Geoff didn’t see was the sudden grin on Michael’s face as he charged towards him, knocking him straight into the chilling water. The others tumbled to the ground, laughing to tears as Geoff floundered in the water.

Gavin, who was too busy chuckling at the sight of his soaked friend, didn’t notice Michael sneak up behind him. In an instant, he was shoved into the lake as well, joining Geoff. Michael tore off his shirt and dived in as well, making half off the party drenched in frigid water and the other half still dry. Soon Jack joined them, causing the biggest splash out of all of them. The remaining two, glanced at each other, shared a smile, and dived in. 

When his body hit the water, it was as if time had stopped for a brief moment. The sudden cold had struck him like a whip. He didn’t dare breath, but he didn’t immediately rise to the surface for air. He opened his eyes underwater, and all he saw was blue. Harsh, distorted, moving blue caused by the paddling of his friends. As if God had struck a fist into the sky and caused an earthquake of blue. His lungs were starting to ache. He rose to the surface and broke through, taking in a deep gulp of afternoon air. He was also met with the chaotic sounds of his friends laughing and shouting and splashing around.

He saw Jeremy, his blue hair soaked and wild, hanging onto his wet skin. The smile on his face was so genuine. His eyes were so bright. God, his heart was beating so fast. And he couldn’t stop laughing. Nothing particularly funny was happening, but deep down in his chest he felt such an overwhelming joy. Surrounded by blue; blue water, blue sky, blue hair. He never knew the pure joy the color blue brought him until now.


End file.
